Property owners urged to remember outside repairs

The Easter bank holiday is often considered a great opportunity for spring cleaning, making additions to your properties and carrying out any essential maintenance work.

And with 9.5 million people planning DIY work for the coming weekend according to Aviva, individuals are being urged to remember that the exterior is just as important as the interior when it comes to ensuring the maintenance of your property.

As such, investors who let their properties may be checking that their landlord insurance policies provide them with sufficient protection - as well as taking a quick look at the condition of the outer walls of their holdings - in order to prevent any unexpected problems arising.

"Many of the common and expensive problems that affect homes often begin outside the home. For example, damage from damp that seeps in through leaky external walls, standing water on flat roofs and missing roof tiles," said director of home insurance Heather Smith.

Landlords are required to ensure that their properties are properly maintained to provide safe living conditions for their tenants, and this latest news may prompt many to keep a closer eye on the external state of their assets.

According to the report, checking for defective chimney stacks and missing roof tiles should be done at least once every month to prevent any problems from developing, while flat roofs and guttering need to be looked at twice a year.

And landlords could do well to ask their tenants to keep an eye out for any possible issues with their house's infrastructure, as it can prevent costly damage that could disrupt their tenancy.

Whether preparing a property for new tenants or simply maintaining it for existing ones, investors have to consider its security and upkeep to ensure its long term profitability and avoid any minor structural problems developing to a more significant extent.